Strangers in Budapest

The second novel from Keener (Night Swim) follows a young American couple as they learn to survive in 1990s Budapest, a city wildly different from their hometown of Stow, Mass. Annie and Will Gordon move to Budapest with their young son Leo so that Will can pursue a business opportunity building communications networks in rural Hungary. Shortly after they arrive, the Gordons’ neighbors back in Massachusetts ask them for a favor: to check on Edward Weiss, an elderly American friend of theirs who is living in Budapest. Annie visits Edward, and she eventually discovers that he has been devastated by the loss of his daughter Deborah and believes that her husband was responsible for her death. Annie agrees to help Edward find his former son-in-law, but the dangers of the city soon threaten her family’s safety. Keener immerses the reader in Budapest’s postcommunist period in all its tumultuous glory. As the Gordons get in over their heads in their new city, the author combines strong characters and a riveting plot to craft a memorable novel. (Nov.)